Refill your swiffer wet-jet bottle.

I just recently introduced Chris to the Swiffer Wet Jet (a contraption that I have personally fallen in love with, despite it's wasteful nature).  I also have been exploring the good ole' fashioned way of cleaning things with different concentrations of vinegar in water...a little salt here, a little baking soda there, add a little heat etc. The information really is nurturing the scientist in me that is presently being repressed while I pursue becoming one of Penn State's "well rounded graduates," with classes like "The History of Rock and Roll", and "Scuba Diving".  My first question is:  how did the world of cleaning products get so far away from the simplicity of these ingredients!?  My second question is:  how do I apply what I know about these simple cleaning solutions to my love of the Swiffer Wet Jet, and get my floors squeeky clean in a money-saving, time-saving, land-fill reducing way?!

The answer is this, my friends:  you don't have to go out and buy a new cartridge of cleaner for your Wet Jet every time you run out.

The Wet Jet cartridges are hard to open, impossible even...without a little heat.  The melting point of the white plastic cap is relatively low, heat a mug of water in the microwave (or better yet, get a pot boiling on the stove) and dip the top of the cartridge bottle into the hot water.  After a minute in the microwaved water (or 10 seconds in the boiling water), remove the bottle and twist the cap off with a dishtowel.  Voila!  Empty, opened Wet Jet cleaner cartridge!  Now, fill the cartridge carefully, or with a funnel, with a new cleaning solution of your own making.  I prefer a vinegar based concoction: 1 cup distilled white vinegar + 1 gallon of water.  Add a few drops of an essential oil, such as lemon oil for a clean scent.  Twist on the white cap until you feel it latch, test it by trying to twist it off again (you shouldn't be able to) and make sure the clear plastic insert in the middle is sealed (otherwise it will leak when you turn it upside down).

Yay!  You didn't have to add another cleaner cartridge to your grocery list, and saved $5 a pop!

I haven't tackled the disposable swiffer pads yet... but from what I've read you can just as easily make velcro washclothes and attach those to the bottom, afterwards just throwing them in the washing machine.  I like the swiffer pads, but my next project will definitely be finding a suitable, sustainable replacement for them as well.

Why, you may ask, don't I just buy a regular old mop then, if I'm making all these alterations?  I really like the spray abilities of the Wet Jet - battery powered though they may be - it's fast and effective, and the only reason there are disposable parts in the first place is for the makers of Wet Jet to get more money...so in part, I'm stickin' it to the Man.